A Huggable Evangelical

By Nicholas Kristof

Sad word today from Washington that Richard Cizik, who helped lead the evangelical Christian movement away from the culture wars and gay-bashing to tackle global poverty and climate change, has been pushed out of his job. Rich had headed the Washington office of the National Association of Evangelicals, and for many years he had played a critical role in the rebranding of evangelicals.

A few years ago I wrote a column headlined “Hug an Evangelical,” about the way evangelicals were now tackling humanitarian issues like AIDS, Darfur, poverty and religious repression. That column was all about people like Rich who were using the political power of evangelicals to get the White House to pay attention to Sudan, AIDS and malaria. Most liberals are still so distrustful of conservative Christians that they don’t appreciate the significance of that shift, but it’s huge.

Travel through Cambodia, and you see child brothels closed because evangelical groups hounded the U.S. and Cambodian governments to get them shut. Visit southern Africa, and you see people who are alive today only because evangelicals nagged President Bush into launching PEPFAR, his AIDS initiative. And while it’s true that some PEPFAR money has been squandered on abstinence-only programs, that’s only a small piece of the pie (30 percent of prevention funding, or about 10 percent of the overall total). And if we’re going to make further progress on issues that I care deeply about, it will be because of coalitions between bleeding-heart liberals and bleeding-heart evangelicals.

Rich’s downfall came in an interview with Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air, when he said he favored civil unions for gay couples. More conservative evangelicals already regarded him with great suspicion, and that was the last straw. He resigned. I realize that a defense in The New York Times will only confirm the judgment of many conservative Christians that he should have been ousted long ago. But he was a bridge-builder whose legacy is people alive today in remote villages, who would otherwise be dead of AIDS or malaria — and another part of his legacy is the respect that some liberals like myself have for the National Association of Evangelicals. I hope that someone like the Rev. Rick Warren can find a way to use Rich as a new ideological bridge so that left and right can cooperate to accomplish more in the humanitarian arena.

Powell Slams Palin, Limbaugh

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell took aim at Sarah Palin and the Republican party's emphasis on small-town values during an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakharia that will air this Sunday.

Powell also says that we should rethink its "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuals in the military. And he tells Republicans that they should stop listening to Rush Limbaugh:

"Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh?" Powell asked. "Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?"
As noted by Think Progress, Powell says:

Gov. Palin, to some extent, pushed the party more to the right, and I think she had something of a polarizing effect when she talked about how small town values are good. Well, most of us don't live in small towns. And I was raised in the South Bronx, and there's nothing wrong with my value system from the South Bronx.

And when they came to Virginia and said the southern part of Virginia is good and the northern part of Virginia is bad. The only problem with that is there are more votes in the northern part of Virginia than there are in the southern part of Virginia, so that doesn't work.

Twilight's Spawn of Vamp Kid Hatchlings Hitting Goths Where it Hurts

Frustrated Writer Frustrated by Being a Writer

By Owen Thomas

Every wannabe author has this fantasy of what the job is like. This fantasy usually involves writing. Ha! Ben Chadwick, a programmer with an MFA in creative fiction, has called out for help on Craigslist.

Specifically, he wants someone to work for $80 to $100 a week to market his oeuvre. He has a day job, so no time to waste "sticking his tongue into the greasy gears of the publishing machine," as he puts it. The sad thing is, with the state of the media job market, I don't think he'll have any trouble finding someone to do the work:


Slightly published fiction MFA seeking literary assistant for sending out manuscripts (short stories, mostly, as well as novel queries and maybe other stuff) to appropriate publications. The assistant would research publications, track submissions, stuff envelopes, perform some light editing, and offer criticism.

The ideal candidate would have an MFA or a BA in English/Creative Writing, some editing experience, and extensive knowledge of the literary publishing "market". It would certainly help if you have similar tastes to my own, and especially if you like my writing. (Please do not view this Craigslist post as a sample.) You MUST be located in the New York City area.

I expect this would take up about 6-8 hours per week. Pay would be $80-$100/week depending on experience. The rate is negotiable. I am readily willing to compensate for superior quality work and dedication. I would also happily critique and edit some fiction, essays, resumes, applications, etc. for you. Most of the work could be done from home. We would meet up once every week or two and you could hand me a stack of envelopes awaiting my signature. Please note, there would almost certainly be weeks without work (meaning no pay, either). Alternative arrangement suggestions are welcome. I will cover mailing costs and I might even buy you some falafel. I'm already worried that you're not getting enough to eat on your measly wage.

I will be realistic about what I'm offering here. This obviously wouldn't work as a primary job. For someone working part-time or interning already, however, it could contribute some booze money or help defray rent. I am not a slave-driver, and there is potential that this could be a long-term partnership if it works out. This would be good training for a future literary agent. And someday I will write you a recommendation that will make Jesus jealous. Hell, I'm tempted to apply for this myself.

About the author: Mr. X received his MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from George Mason University a couple years ago and has been busy paying the rent ever since. He also holds a BA in Archaeology from the University of Virginia. His tastes are primarily modern/post-modern/international. Italo Calvino, Julio Cortazar, Thomas Pynchon, J.G. Ballard, William Gibson, Haruki Murakami, David Foster Wallace, Jack Kerouac, Robert Coover, Nathanael West, Kurt Vonnegut, John dos Passos. He works in the financial sector (tick-tock) and rides the MTA home to Queens.

Basically, Mr. X has a complete apathy/loathing for the submissions process itself, and not enough free time, either, because of his day job. He has written some worthy short stories but hates sticking his tongue into the greasy gears of the publishing machine, and he never has enough stamps anyway. So, he has been sitting on some good work for several years and would like to see it get printed — and write more.

Oh, and how did I know Mr. X was Ben Chadwick? The academic credentials he presented made finding his LinkedIn profile a snap. Turns out Chadwick has first-hand experience in poorly paid publishing work: He worked as a "slave" for La Cucina Italiana, a magazine, before finding work in financial services.

Oh, and? Chadwick and I attended the same school in northern Virginia, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, five years apart. Ben, look me up at the next reunion. I'll share some writing tips. For free.

Brits Starting to Make Americans Look Graceful as Suicide is Broadcast on UK Reality Show

So much for the diminutive British! The assisted suicide of an American named Craig Ewert was broadcast on a British reality show Wednesday immediately casting all Americans addicted to homegrown brain-drain reality programing in a more positive light.

Ewert's death was recorded at a Swiss clinic by a film crew in 2006 and had been shown on Swiss television previoulsy.
MORE HERE

Lawd, Have Mercy! Jesse Jackson Jr. is Blago's 'Candidate 5'

A law enforcement official confirms that the person referred to in the federal criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich as "Candidate 5" is Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

However, federal officials caution that they have no evidence, other than statements made by Blagojevich, about whether Candidate 5 actually made any improper approaches to the governor. No conversations with Candidate 5 were ever picked up on any of the bugs or wiretaps.
MORE HERE

FBI: Illinois Governor tried to auction Senate seat

CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich embarked on a "corruption crime spree" and tried to benefit from his ability to appoint President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate, federal officials said Tuesday.

At a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called it a sad day for the citizens of Illinois and alleged that the governor tried to "auction off" the Senate seat "to the highest bidder."

He said the alleged behavior "would make (Abe) Lincoln roll over in his grave."
(MORE HERE)

A 'Twilight' review for the 'twi-curious'

If you’re confused and slightly aroused by the fervor surrounding the film ‘Twilight’ you’re probably either a teenager radically sheltered by an overzealous Christian parent or you’re just old. I would fall into the latter category.

Actually, it’s not so much that I am old as it is a case of just not being the demographic for the film nor the wildly popular book series by Stephenie Meyer. The ‘Twilight’ franchise is much like rap music, ‘The Hills’ and anything involving Tela Tequila; forty year-old white men are not even in the top ten when it comes to target audience.

The Twilight book series has clearly had some cross-over success with women, attracting older demographics that couldn’t resist the dark fairytales of Bella and Edward. However, manly men such as myself and others (straight, married or divorced, able to name all thirty-two NFL teams, and would include The Godfather and Goodfellas in their personal best films of all time lists) have avoided the allure of the books and especially the movie. Not since… well, this summer’s ‘Mama Mia’ have movie theaters been so disproportionately deprived of testosterone. Only sexually confused teenage boys, ones still trying to impress girls they are courting and any male who had recently fucked up in any way and were forced to go were dropping the down the nine fifty required to see this movie.

Understanding that I couldn’t possibly maintain my self-respect and see Twilight in my local theater, I was left with two choices: I could travel outside a stones throw of my zip code or I could do what tech savvy twi-curious men everywhere are doing and download a pirated version off the internet. The copy I downloaded was a crude version shot with a video camera. The quality was pretty good, though, certainly good enough to get by.

All in all, ‘Twilight’ is exactly what I thought it would be. At times it reminded me of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ in the rain and at others it looked like a carbon copy of Guns n Roses’ ‘November Rain’ video. It was embarrassingly cliché at times and left me with the constant expectation that Luke Perry would be strolling onto the screen at any moment.

Without spoiling the storyline, I will say that Bella, played by Kristen Stewart is the most believable and compelling character. At no time did I want to punch her in the stomach. She was cute and not overly emo or conflicted. I was pleasantly surprised that neither she nor any of the other frontline characters were driven to cut themselves. Edward (Robert Pattinson), on the other hand eased into the film like the spawn of Fiona Apple and Jim Morrison. The dark circles under his eyes and his pasty white skin effectively conveyed one-hundred years of a tortured and loveless existence. Edward became a vampire at seventeen and was therefore cursed with repeating high school year after year in order to maintain a believable cover. Clever. We learn quickly that Edward was, as Michael Jackson said, not like the other boys. For a hundred years Edward has posed as a high school boy and resisted the temptations of the eras. It is this storyline that first illustrates that these books were clearly written by an idealistic Mormon woman.

If you go my route and watch an illegal copy of Twilight, pause the movie at the thirty minute mark. Try to guess in your head how the rest of the film will go. How will it end? You’ll be exactly right, I assure you. Nothing about ‘Twilight’ is a surprise or offers a twist. Legitimate reviews of the film have said that it lacks “bite”. Well said. The climax seems to take forever develop and is played out in record time. And, no, that is not a metaphor for Mormon sexual dysfunction. Clearly, there is a strong and freaky vibe in the LDS. They, after all invented polygamy and sex with minors in pioneer outfits. Mormons are very in touch with the concept of getting some ‘strange’.

The third and decisive act of the film really doesn’t even start until more that three quarters of the way through the film and is resolved in a matter of minutes. The focus of the film remains consistent and obliging to its target audience and is mostly about the emerging and innocent love of these two teenagers. So if you’re looking for a few hot scenes of vampire sex, move on. The couple only shares one kiss that I remember. And when you consider that Edward’s skin is cold to the touch and is actually one-hundred years-old, chances are he suffers from severe erectile dysfunction. Clearly this story was not meant to be dissected.

The bottom line is that ‘Twilight’ is probably exactly what you think and exactly what tween and teen girls everywhere are hopelessly searching for. How it compares to the book, I can’t say and wouldn’t say even if I could. I can see a nice little franchise emerging here. While this film had a surprisingly low budget look to it, subsequent efforts will no doubt benefit from the success of this film. Expect the next film, ‘New Moon’ to look more sleek and upgraded. The challenge for the makers of these films will be to get them made quick enough to maintain the illusive interest of their target audience. For an example of how this will go if it’s dragged out over time see the chronology of New Kids on the Block.

Prop 8 - The Musical

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... by Jack Black

Larry Craig's Legacy Secure in MSP Men's Room After Appeal Denied

MINNEAPOLIS — Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has lost his latest attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in the Minneapolis airport men's room sex sting that effectively ended his Senate career.

A three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected the Republican's bid to toss out his disorderly conduct conviction.

Craig still has the option of appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and he said Tuesday he was considering future options.

Craig was arrested June 11, 2007, by an undercover police officer who was conducting a sting operation against men cruising for gay sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

He quietly pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and paid a fine, but changed his mind after word of his arrest became public that August. Craig insisted he was innocent and said he was not gay. His attorney argued that the police officer misconstrued Craig's foot-tapping, hand movements and other conduct.

But the case brought widespread ridicule and effectively ended his political career.

Craig lost several GOP leadership positions in the wake of the scandal, and the Senate Ethics Committee said in February that Craig had brought discredit on the Senate. The committee members said they believed he was guilty, and that his attempt to withdraw his plea was just an effort to evade the legal consequences of his own actions.

He did not seek a fourth term in last month's election. He will be replaced in January by Idaho Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, a Republican.

Craig's attorney, Billy Martin, argued before the appeals court in September that there was insufficient evidence for any judge to find him guilty.

In its 10-page opinion, the appeals panel said that Craig failed to show that Hennepin County District Judge Charles Porter abused his discretion by denying his petition to withdraw his plea. Porter had said the plea was "accurate, voluntary and intelligent, and ... supported by the evidence."

Tuesday's opinion also said Craig failed to show that the state's disorderly conduct law was unconstitutionally overbroad.

"I am extremely disappointed by the action of the Minnesota Court of Appeals," Craig said in a statement. "I disagree with their conclusion and remain steadfast in my belief that nothing criminal or improper occurred at the Minneapolis airport." He said he and his attorneys were reviewing into the possibility of further appeals.

After the story became public, Craig had initially said that he would resign from the Senate, but he changed his mind about that, too, and vowed to fight to clear his name.

Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which runs the airport, said the appellate decision again confirms that Craig knew what he was doing when he entered his plea. He said the agency hopes it's the end of the case.